Trail derails: Recapping the unforgettable fire

Sunday

Jun 28, 2009 at 12:01 AMJun 28, 2009 at 10:53 PM

It was midevening June 19, and residents across the Rock River Valley were engaged in the typical Friday-night fare: heading home from work, leaving activities or settling in for a quiet evening at home.

It was midevening June 19, and residents across the Rock River Valley were engaged in the typical Friday-night fare: heading home from work, leaving activities or settling in for a quiet evening at home.

A heavy rain that fell earlier in the day left a pool of water just west of South Mulford Road along the Canadian National Railway tracks near Sandy Hollow and South Mulford roads. The Winnebago County sheriff’s office received four 911 calls around 8 p.m. regarding a possible washout of the tracks.

Sgt. Aaron Booker was working in the county’s 911 center. He sent a squad to the scene to inspect the tracks and made two phone calls: one to the Union Pacific Railroad and the other to Canadian National, the companies that have tracks running through the area.

Around 8:30 p.m., several people were stopped in their vehicles at the railroad crossing.

A CN freight was on the tracks. The two-engine train toted 78 ethanol cars and 36 other cars. The train was traveling at 34 mph at the crossing; the limit is 50 mph.

“When I pulled up, the train was already going across,” said Colleen Mork, 67, who was in a car on the north side of the tracks. “First, it was regular box cars, and there was nothing unusual, but then the tankers came. The first tanker car bumped like it hit a pothole. It made a loud noise, like a bang. Then, the next one hit harder. I think I saw three bump up and down, and then the couplings started to spark.

“I remember thinking ‘That train could derail,’ and right at that moment the train cars started crashing into each other. I saw them go up into the air, almost like they buckled or jackknifed, but up in the air. There was an explosion, and then the fire was instantly big.”

Local law enforcement officials have not released a definitive list of people who were involved or injured in the crash. Winnebago County and Cherry Valley officials, who served as lead fire and police responders, agree that the crash involved one fatality; the woman has been identified as Zoila Tellez, 41.

The two other occupants of Tellez’s vehicle suffered serious injuries, and several other people suffered burns and other injuries.

Local law enforcement leaders say information they may have had June 19 about injured parties and witnesses was turned over the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the derailment.

Sheriff Dick Meyers said complete information on injuries and who suffered them has been difficult to compile because some people may have sought medical assistance on their own and were not treated by paramedics at the scene or transported by ambulance.